Under-fire Leeds manager Terry Venables has ripped into his want-away midfielder Olivier Dacourt following comments the Frenchman made prior to the Elland Road club's 1-0 defeat away to Fulham yesterday.
French international Dacourt branded Venables' team a "disgrace" following their descent towards the relegation zone, and complained of being ignored by the manager. But a furious Venables said Dacourt's comments had done little to help the team, and only served to reveal his selfish side. "I was disappointed to read comments from Olivier Dacourt complaining at the way I have treated him at Leeds. I think his timing speaks volumes about the kind of person he is," Venables said.
"Everyone knows we are going through a tough time at the moment but Olivier clearly isn't too bothered about that. He's a man who plays for himself - and speaks for himself. He really isn't too concerned about how it affects his own team-mates. Who does he think he's hurting when he calls the team a 'disgrace' on the morning of an important game for us all?," Venables added.
Venables also claims Dacourt, who has four years left on his contract, has been working towards a move away from Leeds for months. "Dacourt claims he loves England - well, let me tell you this: he's been engineering to find a way out for the last 12 months and that includes the period when David O'Leary was manager here as well. Dacourt claims he has been linked to clubs in Italy, and Venables said: "If he wants to go to Italy - and if someone is interested - I will personally drive him there."
Leeds suffered their tenth defeat of the season yesterday when Fulham's Martin Djetou tenth minute header was enough to ensure the points for the Londoners.
Filed by James Boylan.
